Compromise needed

February 10, 2013

After the last national election, I felt we were all losers. It was a relief to be free of dirty partisan ads, but I was still left with the feeling that dirty politics came out on top. This left little room for hope, but I may have counted Minnesota out too soon. My husband, Dick, has a well earned reputation as a man who is tight with money; yours as well as ours. Sixteen years of serving on the county board have further honed his budgeting skills. Pinching pennies will always be important to him, but there are social service programs he knows are vital and he is doing his best to make sure there are adequate provisions for these essential services. Public health, community security, safe highways and Early Childhood education are all worthy of our tax dollars. Help a child early in his life and we are less likely to see him involved with law enforcement when he grows up. Governor Dayton, (whom neither of us supported) has come up with a proposed budget which makes sense. No surprise that it isn't perfect but taxing all of us is the only method to pay for services that in one way or another benefit all of us.

Lower the over all sales tax to 5.5 percent, apply sales tax to garments valued over $100 as well as all services. Increase state income tax on households making more than $250,000 annually. These revenues will allow for a needed $500 property tax rebate for all Minnesota home owners in 2013 and forever unless changed by the Legislature. This budget reflects the pressure exerted on the Governor by county, and other local officials who insist that the burden of funding be shifted from property taxes and returned to a more equitable funding mechanism. This may not be the best plan anyone could come up with, but it is the best I've heard in the past decade.

Good representative government requires COMPROMISE! It is time for all of us to buy into a program that may offend some but gets the job done . Support Governor Dayton on this and urge your representatives to do the same; put aside partisan politics and do the right thing for Minnesota.